West
Woman severely beaten during invasion at Beanie Babies tycoon's home: report
A man suspected of savagely beating a woman inside Beanie Babies tycoon Ty Warner’s Montecito, California mansion has been charged with first-degree attempted murder and other violent crimes, according to a report.
According to a criminal complaint, 42-year-old Russell Maxwell Phay of Henderson, Nevada, broke into a home owned by “T. Warner” and beat a woman identified as “L. Malek Aslanian,” within inches of her life.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office told NBC News that “T. Warner” is Ty Warner, the owner of Ty Inc., which manufactures the stuffed children’s toys.
The Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office could not immediately be reached for comment.
CRYPTO INVESTOR ACCUSED OF SADISTICALLY TORTURING BIZ PARTNER IN NYC LUXURY TOWNHOUSE
Feb. 16, 2003: In this file photo, Ty Warner, Beanie Baby creator, arrives at the Toy Fair to sign “Decade,” the 10th anniversary baby bear in New York. (AP)
The incident occurred on May 21.
The complaint, signed by Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch, alleges that Phay “did unlawfully and with malice aforethought attempt to murder a human being,” and that he left Malek Aslanian “in a comatose state due to brain injury.”
He was also charged with assault with a force likely to produce great bodily injury, residential burglary with a person present, kidnapping, and obstructing or delaying a peace officer.
According to a press release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, police responded to a burglary at the home, and when they arrived, found Malek Aslanian severely beaten.
Beanie Babies from Mina’s in Bellevue in 1998. (Mandy Lunn/USA TODAY NETWORK)
NYC EXECUTIVE USED APARTMENT TO RAPE, TORTURE WOMEN IN ‘CALCULATED CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE’: PROSECUTORS
Police found Phay barricaded in an upstairs bathroom. He allegedly jumped from the second story window to escape, only to be immediately captured by police with the help of a police K9.
A release from Savrnoch’s office says that Phay is scheduled to appear in Santa Barbara Superior Court for the first time on June 2. He is being held on $1 million bail. According to Santa Barbara County jail records, Phay is still in custody.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment.
The Santa Barbara County Courthouse in California. (Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to the Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office.
Read the criminal complaint here:
Read the full article from Here
San Diego, CA
Foodie forecast: A new cafe opens in La Jolla’s Arcade building
Here is some of the dining news from across San Diego County, as well as some upcoming events for foodies.
Cala café opens in La Jolla: From 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Amy de Leon will host the grand opening of her new restaurant Cala La Jolla Café in La Jolla’s historic Arcade building. Cala will offer what she calls an “omakase” coffee and matcha experience, breakfast and lunch menus and fresh-made pastries. De Leon, a real estate agent, also owns a coffee shop on the UC San Diego campus. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 7910 Girard Ave., La Jolla. 858-333-8610, calalajolla.com.
Board & Brew opens in Midway District: This sandwich-and-draft beer quick-service restaurant chain has opened a new location near the USS Midway Museum. Founded in 1979, the company now dozens of locations in California, Arizona and Texas. Shop hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 825 N. Harbor St., Suite 109, San Diego. boardandbrew.com.
Vincenzo debuts pasta program: Vicenzo Cucina & Lounge in Little Italy has introduced an in-house pasta program powered by its new artisan pasta-making machine that guests can see churning out different varieties of pasta in the restaurants’ front window. The handmade pasta wil be served with lunch and dinner entrées. 550 W. Date St., Suite A, San Diego. vincenzosd.com
Urban Plates new summer menu: Urban Plates, with 22 locations statewide including Carlsbad, Del Mar and La Jolla, has unveiled new drinks and dishes this month for its summer menu. New dishes include a BBQ jalapeño cheesebuger, Southwest grilled chicken salad and a superfood grilled chicken salad. There’s also a new lineup of refreshing fruit-based “cooloer” drinks priced at $4.50. They include strawberry basil lemonade, pineapple coconut lime, organic lemonade and dragon fruit and strawberry. urbanplates.com
Del Mar festival lineup announced: This year’s Del Mar Wine & Food Festival, returning with seven events Sept. 30 through Oct. 3, has unveiled some of the culinary headliners who will be cooking at the event. They are Michelin-starred chef Drew Deckman; cookbook author and TV food show judge Aarti Sequeira; Camelback Mountain executive chef Beau MacMillan; “Top Chef” victor and now chef/co-owner of Huson in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, Buddha Lo; cookbook author and Weelicious.com media platform founder Catherine McCord; L.A.-based chef Jackson Kalb; Pei Wei culinary executive, Food Network host and contestant and cookbook author Jet Tila; Clutch Chicken restaurang group founder and TV cooking show contestant Kelsey Murphy; chef, author TV personality and Morph Hospitality Group co-founder Maneet Chauhan; and James Beard-nominated chef of the Colorado restaurant Mawa’s Kitchen, Mawa McQueen. Tickets are now on sale at delmar.wine
Lion’s Share + Animae family-style collab: On July 9, two downtown restaurants will collaborate on ANIMAENIACS, a family-style dinner for parties of six. The Lion’s Share chef Dante Romero and Animae chef Tara Monsod will create a multicourse meal that draws on Romero’s Mexican heritage and Monsod’s Filipino heritage. The all-inclusive meal will include three beverages per person including cocktails, beer or non-alcoholic, and an after-party. Seatings are available at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. July 9. $1,080 for a party of six. The Lion’s Share, 629 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Reservations at exploretock.com/the-lions-share-san-diego.
Tiki Oasis returns: The annual Tiki Oasis convention, which takes place each summer at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley, has announced its 2026 dates and theme. This year’s 26th convention, titled “Psychadelic Tiki,” will run Aug. 5-9. This year’s convention will include an art exhibition, more than 40 seminars, a 150-vendor marketplace, live entertainment and more. There will also be a sunset luau dinner at The Catamaran Resort. Details at tikioasis.com.
Pam Kragen, Union-Tribune
Alaska
Kasilof River Sockeye Salmon Limits Increased
(Soldotna) – To allow anglers additional harvest opportunity of Kasilof River sockeye salmon, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is increasing the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon, 16 inches or greater in length, to six fish per day and twelve fish in possession; however, no more than two salmon per day and two in possession may be coho salmon, in all portions of the Kasilof River open to salmon fishing. These provisions are effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 26 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, December 31, 2026.
The biological escapement goal on the Kasilof River is 140,000-320,000 sockeye salmon. Through June 23, a total of 117,665 sockeye salmon have passed the Kasilof River sonar site. The current escapement of sockeye salmon into the Kasilof River is proceeding at a rate that is projected to exceed the biological escapement goal.
In addition to increasing the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon, ADF&G issued emergency order 2-RS-1-32-26 expanding the area open to the personal use dip net fishery on the Kasilof River.
For additional information, please contact the Soldotna ADF&G office at (907) 262-9368.
Arizona
Where to watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs St. Louis Cardinals: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 25
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Thursday as the Arizona Diamondbacks visit the St. Louis Cardinals.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Arizona Diamondbacks vs St. Louis Cardinals?
First pitch between the St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, June 25.
How to watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
- Matchup: ARI at STL
- Date: Thursday, June 25
- Time: 7:45 p.m. (ET)
- Venue: Busch Stadium
- Location: St. Louis, Missouri
- TV: Cardinals.TV and DBACKS.TV
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for June 25 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
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